Septum retainers

Septum retainers are U-shaped pieces of metal, either rounded or squared-off, and usually between 5/16» and 3/8» wide and 3/8» long. The spread of the shanks should be adjusted to fit the wearer so that the retainer may be comfortably flipped up into the nose. Wire in gauges larger than 10 is more difficult to shape into small dimensions. A few companies make large gauge retainers with thinner shanks so that the retainer can be shaped accurately. Solid plugs or eyelets may be more comfortable or more readily available than retainers for piercings larger than 8ga.